Adventure Quest Africa (2)

---

Leg 7: 50 km Hike

Cindy Van Zyl / 03.09.2002

T5 – PC7: Kwaggaskirk – Mount Pleasant Farm House
We had by now completed 265km of the route and had almost as many kilometres to go. We slept for an hour and a half, had a hearty meal and set out for a murderous 50km hike across the windswept mountains. Tiger-line Kobus took us straight over the crest of the highest snow-capped peak in the region. Despite the freezing wind, we had snow fights, took photographs and marched down the other side of the mountain with beauty making light of our footsteps. And to further improve our moods, there was a team not even three kilometres ahead of us. The wild dogs’ whoooop-whoooop echoed across the mountains…

We contoured the first 13 kilometres to PC7 and caught up with Team Fear as they left the farmhouse. According to the marshal who manned the kitchen door, the barometer registered minus 10 degrees Celsius the previous night. This made us give up our fantasies of warm coffee and karringmelk beskuit and we hastened our steps to get off the exposed ridge before nightfall.

PC7 – PC8: Mount Pleasant Farm House – Bloemhof Traverse
We followed the undulating contour of the mountain ridge for what felt like an eternity. There was no sign of team Fear and we assumed that they decided to approach PC8 along the less exposed gorge. As nightfall approached the intensity of the wind increased to such an extent that our walking sticks were blown at nearly right angles. And with the howling of the wind the bitter cold increased. In the far distance the snow-capped peaks glowed orange for a brief moment before all turned steely grey and then got swallowed by the cold, dark night.

In the darkness Kobus led us down one hill after the other. We swerved left and right, cut across a few more hills and small gully’s and then suddenly cut a tiger-line to the gorge. We were following blindly. And as we came over the last undulation, we walked straight into the two marshal vehicles and bunting leading to PC8. We looked at each other in disbelief and even Kobus was a little surprised at his magnificent navigation.

Through excellent choice of route and sheer foot-speed we made up another three positions – we were now 8th. Team Vaseline was on the move! We completed the Tyrolean traverse in a record 23 minutes and after a brief picnic of potatoes, cheese rolls and Vooma, set out on the second half of the 50km hike.

See All Event Posts